Alcohol-still



To all whom 'it may concern:

r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

OLIVEltL. PERIN, OF OINOI'NATI, OHJIO.

ALCOHOL-STILL.

SPECIFICATION forming `part of Letters `Patent No. 244,656, dated July 19, 1881. Application filed Aprnaa, resi. (No model.)

Be it known that l, OLIVER L. PERIN, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Alcohol-Stills,ot` which the following is a specification. n

My invention is in the'nature of an improvement upolrthat class ot' stills for the manufacture of alcohol which are continuous in ltheir operation, and has for vits object theconstruction and arran gementof a float-valve attached to the slop-chamber, which shall automatically open and close and graduate' the openings through which-the slop passes from'. thestill,

.to maintain an approximately-uniformi head of slop in the slop-chamber and itlconsists in attaching to the slop-chamber of the still an independent chamber of suitable form and material containing a float and register-valve, the register or annulus ofthe valve being suspended from the iloat to adapt the head of slop carried in the slop-chamber to the requirements of the still. v

The register-valve consists of a central cylinder with a closed head, provided with ports or -slots disposed around the circumference thereof. A loosely-tting annulus or ring suspended by a bar or spider'from the loat travels up and down over the ports and opens the Valve more or less to vent the slop and maintain a uniform level in the slop-chamber.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a section of an alcohol-still with my improved float-valve ;l and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of theregister-valve with sections hroken away to show the construction thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.

Ais a spirit-still, consisting ofthe usual system of vaporizing-chambers and provided with the slop-chamber A at the bottom thereof. Bis the float-chamber, usually made of wood or copper, to resist the corrodin g action of the mash or slop,and connected to the slop-chamber by the pipe a.

a' is a pipe also connecting the slop-chamber with the iloat-chamber to equalize the levels of slop and steam pressures in the two -valve is suspended from the float.

D is the annulus or register ot` thevalve, an Ethe cylinder provided with ports e cl'or the exi-tof the slop. The cylinder of the valve is provided with a ange, e', by means of which itis attached by screw-bolts to the chamber B.

,Vd is a bar placed diametrcally across the annulus D, and provided with a nut, d', into Xwhich the adjusting-screw o is'threadelLto adjust the position ofi the annulus relative to the float.

F is a slop-pipe by which the slop is conveyed from ,the still, provided with a leg or neck, f, attached to the under side or bottom of the float-chamber.

G is a stem secured tothe upper side of the float, which passes through a stuffing-box in vthe top of the iloat-chamber, and is provided with an eye, g, to which the counterpoise H isjattached bythe rope or chain g. I is a bracket attached to the still to support the grooved sheaves it', over which the rope or chain g' passes.

The action of the device is as follows: The oat being counterpoised lto sink .to any desired depth in the slop, the head of slop in the chamber A is fixed by raising or lowering the annulus D of the register-valve until the lower edge thereof coincides with the lower edges of the ports e c. .In this positiori of the annulus no slop will iow from Ythe still, but with'any increase in the quantity of slop in the chamber A( the float O, and, consequently, the-annulus D, rises with the increased head and uncovers Qmore or less the ports e e, and permits the eX-` oess of slop yto Vent through the cylinder ,E and slop-pipe F. Directly the float C descends until the lower edges of the annulus coincide with the lower edges of the ports o e the llow of slop from the chamber A ceases, and the level in the slop-chamber can be drawn down no lower through the register-valve. l

In practice the ports e e are always open more or less, according to the capacity at which the still is being worked; and the slop is passed a corresponding change in the levelof the float and a corresponding increase or diminution of the e'ective openings in the ports e e.

In all forms of float-valves for this purpose heretofore proposed serious practical objections are present, which defeat their pronounced object and unfit them for actual service. Thus in the ball-and-cock valve the action is neither regular nor certain, the friction of the plug in the cock varying with the tcmperature of the slop, and causing the float to rise higher or sink lower in the slop before the cock is suciently opened or closed to vent or check the low of slop from the still, thereby producing a variable level in the slop-ch amber A', and either reducing the level so low as to permit the ventagebot' steam, or raising it so high as to clog the action of the still. The pnppet-valve and oat is also very objectionable, in that it requires constant attention to prevent it seatin g, in which event manual ei'ort is necessary to raise it again, and should it seat at a time when it was not observed the slop would accumulate in the chamber A and finally back up into the vaporizing-chambers of the still, and render so many chambers as were charged with the slop temporarily useless.

With my device no attention is requisite, the register-valve automatically responding to any change, however slight, in the quantity of slop in the chamber A.

Havingdescribed myinvention, whatI claim 1s- 1. In continuous spirit-stills, the automatic oat-valve consisting of the oat C, annulus D, and cylinder` E, having ports or perforations e e, substantially asand for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the chamber B, float C, stirrups c, adjusting-screw c', and annulus D, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the float-chamber B, oat C, stem G, counterpoise H, rope or chain g', and sheaves i, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the spirit-still A, of the float-chamber B, float C, and registervalve consisting of the elements D E and e c, substantiall y as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OLIVER L. PERIN.

Witnesses:

EDGAR J. GRoss, DANIEL HoRAN. 

